1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a saddle for pedal-powered devices, especially bicycles, with two seat halves which are spaced apart from one another and which are each designed for one half of the buttocks, each seat half having a cup joint arrangement on its bottom, the cup joint arrangement comprising an essentially hollow spherical socket and a cup element which can be moved in it, there being a support rod with two supports which are each attached to the cup element so that the saddle can be connected to a saddle support by means of the support rod and the cup joints each having a means by which the range of motion of the cup element in the socket is limited.
2. Description of Related Art
A saddle of the above mentioned type is known, for example, from German Utility Model DE 201 00 412 U1.
Saddles, especially bicycle saddles, are generally built according to a static principle, in spite of padding, spring systems and extensive elimination of those points which can cause pressure points for the bicycle rider. For this reason, the force expended by the rider, specifically his body and muscle force, is not optimally converted into the given circular rotation of the pedals. The friction of the upper leg on the saddle edge, the pressure load on the buttocks, overshooting of the leg motion—the knee and hip joints execute a more “S”-shaped than round motion relative to the pedal axis—as well as rocking of the upper body of the rider back and forth, in sum, cause a waste of the expended force so that, overall, an uneconomical sequence of motions is achieved. Add to this, the discomfort caused by pressure points for the rider, which moreover can lead to health impairment and health damage. In spite of the use of padding, such as gel cushions, circulation problems of the genitals, inflammations of the urinary tract, microtrauma of the testes or prostate up to infertility and impotence have been reported.
For some time, spring-mounted saddle supports and even completely spring-mounted bicycles have been available. These spring-mounted saddle supports and fully spring-mounted bicycles are advantageous, but are of relevance primarily for relieving the spinal column. The aforementioned problems cannot be avoided with them.
Furthermore, bicycle saddles are known which, as described at the beginning, have two seat halves which are spaced apart from one another and which are each designed for one half of the buttocks. Such a saddle is known, for example, from German Utility Model DE 295 17 194 U1. In this saddle, the two seat halves are spaced apart from one another and are movably supported, but in any case, only a motion which corresponds to tilting of the seat halves around an axis which runs essentially parallel to the bottom and perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the bicycle, which lengthwise axis corresponds essentially to the direction of travel, is possible. Thus, it is a problem in this known saddle that the possible motions of the two seat halves cannot follow the biomechanically most favorable motions of the legs, pelvis, and upper body when bicycling.
This problem is supposed to the solved in the saddle which is known from German Utility Model DE 201 00 412 U1 in that the seat halves are each supported on a joint such as a rubber joint or a ball joint. Here, there is supposed to be a limitation to a small rotary segment. However, the saddle described in German Utility Model DE 201 00 412 U1 does not enable a solid and comfortable seat so that it has not become popular in practice.
The prior art discloses a plurality of other saddles with two seat halves which are spaced apart from one another and which are each designed for one half of the buttocks, for which reference is made, for example, to published German Patent Applications Nos. DE 93 478 A, DE 101 448 A and DE 827 008 B.